


To repent would be nothing but lies

by orphan_account



Series: The difference between having and wanting [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Infidelity, M/M, Modern AU, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-17
Updated: 2012-08-17
Packaged: 2017-11-12 08:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/488760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Merlin wanted to do was take his best friend out for Thai food. He never expected to get an earful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To repent would be nothing but lies

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the start of a modern AU. A few important things: all is not as it seems. Gwen and Lance are not bad people, they simply made a mistake - a big one, but a mistake nonetheless. They weren't out to hurt anyone, and more will be explained about how everything happened as the series goes on. The title for this comes from Sum 41's _The Jester_.

After finishing up a grueling paper for biology, all Merlin wanted was to invite his best friend out for some curry and mangoes and sticky rice from their favorite Thai restaurant. Gwen had been feeling slightly under the weather for the past few weeks, and the best medicine for either of them whilst in a funk involved a delicate balance of sugar and spice.  
  
Set on performing his best friend duties, Merlin rode his bike over to her dorm, parking it carelessly near the entrance. No one would want his rusty old bike - it had been his uncle’s before Merlin went off to Uni, and he had no idea how long Gaius had been keeping it in storage. He gazed up at the cloudless blue sky, briefly reveling in the afternoon sun’s heat, and then made his way into the dorms, going down the hall with a lightness to his steps. He felt good about this plan, which for once had absolutely no chance of going wrong.  
  
He waved to Mithian Queens, a lovely yet formidable girl in his government class, and carried on his way.  
  
Upon reaching 207, Merlin paused, noting the slightly cracked door, and the low tone of the conversation coming from within. He recognized Gwen’s voice instinctively, but struggled to identify the second. It was easily identifiable as male, and oddly familiar, but he knew it could not be Arthur, Gwen’s long-time beau. Hesitating, he wondered whether or not he should announce his presence or simply wait until whoever was visiting took his leave.  
  
The answer was taken out of his hands when Gwen’s voice rose in what sounded like agitation. “What are we going to do? He’ll know it isn’t his - he just got back from studying in Italy, there wouldn’t have been time.”  
  
“Perhaps it is better this way.” Biting back a gasp, Merlin slumped against the wall beside Gwen’s door. He knew that voice now, had heard it often enough when he was forced to tag along with Gwen and Arthur’s friends on nights out. Worse, he had a horrible feeling that he knew exactly what Gwen and Lance were talking about, his mind going over his best friend’s recent bouts of nausea and fatigue. How had this happened? How could he have missed this? “I cannot stand lying to him any longer, and I know how much it pains you as well. As to what we are going to do - we will do what we must. I realize this is not how either of us wanted it to happen, but Gwen, nothing would make me happier than to be able to call you my wife.”  
  
Swallowing hard, Merlin threw himself away from the wall and stumbled back the way he came. He bypassed his bike in favor of sitting on the lawn outside the dorms, collapsing and dragging shaking hands through his hair.  
  
While no one would mistake Merlin and Arthur for friends, they tolerated each other well enough out of respect for Gwen - or rather, Arthur tolerated Merlin and Merlin did everything in his power to repress the feelings he had for his best friend’s boyfriend. He would never imagine allowing the way he felt about Arthur to come between him and Gwen, though apparently he needn’t have bothered, considering Gwen and Lance had no qualms about going after what they both wanted. He had been aware of her loneliness while her boyfriend was gone, but he never thought for a moment that she would seek company somewhere else. When she and Arthur first got together, Gwen had assured Merlin that she had given up on having a relationship with Lance, who for whatever reason had not felt worthy of her. Clearly, that had changed while Arthur was away, or perhaps it had happened even before that.  
  
He was still gripping his hair in bone-white fingers, his knees drawn up to his chest, when he heard a pair of sneakered feet coming his way. A throat cleared, and Merlin sucked in a breath reflexively. Could this day get any worse? “Hello, _Mer_ lin. Do I want to know why you’re curled up in a ball outside the girls’ dorms?”  
  
Resigned, Merlin raised his head and stared up at Arthur. What now?


End file.
